Lincoln, MT
Above: “Hello World!” World, meet Karin. This is Karin’s first picture on the Internet. Karin was camped out at the same KOA in Missoula where I stayed, so we hung out a bunch of times while I was there. She’s definitely one of the coolest people I’ve met. She’s pictured here at the Missoula KOA (the day I departed) accompanied by her beloved dogs
Wednesday, 6/28 9pm
Location: Lincoln, MT
Coordinates:
46.9535 N
112.6710 W
Today’s mileage: about 80
Tomorrow’s destination: Augusta
The bicycle gods punished me today for hanging out in Missoula for so long. It was rough! The heat just kicked my butt. It’s amazing how much energy a hot day can suck out of you. At one point, I took a swig of gatorade, and it was so warm that it felt like sipping on a steaming bowl of soup. Bleh. By th time I pulled into the campsite, my entire body was encrusted in a layer of salt from sweating all day. My cycling shorts looked like I rolled around in flour. Even worse, the campsite doesn’t have a shower. At dinner, I ordered a burger with onion rings, and then I buried it all in salt. I also drank about 8 glasses of water, but I’m still thirsty.
In addition to the heat, one of my rear spokes broke, so the second half of my day was spent wobbling down the road. All told, today was a struggle.
Of course, there were some good things as well. I saw a heard of elk. The lady at a gas station didn’t make me pay for my mega fountain drink, which I refilled a few times. A friendly motorist offered me a cold bottle of water, during the peak of the midday heat. You can bet that it was gleefully accepted.
My plan is to wake up early tomorrow and get as many miles in as possible before noon. I haven’t been good about waking up early so far, but hopefully today’s experience will serve as a strong motivator.
Tags: Travel
daviddmcmillan